Cruz Defends ‘Highly Qualified’ Kash Patel

Pete Hegseth and Kash Patel have faced heavy scrutiny since President Donald Trump (R) announced that they would be joining his administration. Patel, a lawyer and former federal prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice, has been critical of the federal government, arguing that it has been weaponized. As he faces criticism from detractors over his views, Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) is going to bat for Patel, calling him a “highly qualified” candidate.

Earlier this month, President Trump nominated Patel to succeed Christopher Wray as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Supporters of President Trump have praised Patel, assuring that he will usher in much needed change for the FBI, which has largely been viewed by conservatives as a political “swamp.” However, critics have warned that Patel is dangerous, and his nomination is rumored to have compelled President Joe Biden (D) to issue pardons on people that the Trump Administration could “retaliate” against.

In an interview with ABC News Live Prime, Senator Cruz dismissed the alarm, arguing instead that Patel is only facing criticism “because he wants to root out corruption and politicization at the agency.”

“If you look at Kash Patel’s background, he has been a senior intelligence staffer on Capitol Hill. He’s been a senior intelligence staffer in the White House. He has been the chief of staff at the Department of Defense. He’s been the Deputy Director of National Intelligence. He’s someone with the background in addition to being a federal public defender and also a prosecutor, so he brings a deep background to the job,” Senator Cruz detailed.

In short, Senator Cruz believes that Patel will display the leadership “to restore the American people’s confidence in their federal law enforcement.”